1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for draining an engine sump of the type having a threaded drain plug, and it relates more particularly to a novel device which permits the convenient draining of an engine sump without requiring the service person to in any way contact engine oil during removal of the drain plug from the sump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to properly maintain an internal combustion engine, it is necessary from time to time to drain and replace the lubricating oil contained within the engine crankcase or sump. To facilitate such maintenance, a typical internal combustion engine is provided with a drain plug disposed at the lowermost position on the sump. The usual drain plug is a bolt-like member having a male threaded portion and a hexagonally shaped head which is dimensioned to be gripped by a conventional wrench or socket tool of standard size. The plug is received by a reinforced hole in the engine oil pan and is typically sealed by an annular gasket interposed between the head of the plug and the outer surface of the pan.
One of the inconveniences associated with removal of a plug of the foregoing type is that a sudden deluge of engine oil issues from the sump upon unscrewing the plug and removing it from its aperture. Invariably, even the most careful service person comes into contact with the engine oil upon extraction of the plug and, if the engine is at its normal operating temperature, the oil can be at a temperature high enough to scald the service person.
As a solution to the problems associated with contacting spent crankcase oil during an oil change, crankcase drain valves are known which can be installed in place of the typical drain plug. One such valve is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,478 issued to Mantell, Jr. on Apr. 1, 1975 and includes a valve body screwed into the usual female threaded aperture of the oil pan together with a valve core which, when removed, permits the crankcase oil to be drained into a disposable oil bag through which the valve core extends. With such a system, the service person need not come into contact with the crankcase oil because the disposable bag is first mounted around the valve body with the valve core sealably extending through the bag for manual retraction of the core by gripping it externally of the bag. While the foregoing system provides one solution to the problem of conveniently draining a crankcase sump, it would be desirable to provide a device which likewise permits the draining of a crankcase sump without exposing the service person to contact with the drain oil, but which does not require the use of a specialized pre-installed valve mechanism, whereby the device is capable of being used with originally equipped internal combustion engines of various types.